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Ford House is grateful for the generous support of Ford Motor Company Fund and helping us fulfill our educational mission and making Ford House more accessible to our community. He was a noted philanthropist, founding the charitable Ford Foundation in 1936, and an avid arts supporter and collector of fine art. Edsel commissioned the Diego Rivera murals for the Detroit Institute of Arts, and his personal collection includes great masters like Van Gogh and Matisse, as well as art and artifacts from Africa and Asia. Edsel attended an all-boys school where he was assistant editor of the yearbook and a sprinter on the six-man track team.
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After a year’s delay due to the pandemic, the Ford House, Edsel and Eleanor’s estate, has opened up its comprehensive visitors center, where the three cars are now in a permanent exhibit titled Driven by Design. Though the Ford House has owned all three vehicles for some time, for the most part they have been on loan to other institutions and car shows. As mentioned, Edsel Ford had a close working relationship with Gregorie, and Edsel liked to spend time in the styling studio offering suggestions and approving designs. Their relationship went beyond work on production Fords and Lincolns (Henry having bought Lincoln out of Henry Leland’s bankruptcy, it has been said, to give Edsel something to play with).
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Involved in many worthy causes, and also collectors of art, they did a lot of giving back. Ever since I was young, and set foot in Greenfield Village for the first time, I’ve found historic places to be fascinating with stories they have to tell. I love how this has passed down to my girls, and for decades, Ford House, home of Edsel and Eleanor Ford has been a place on my “to visit” list. During your visit to Ford House, experience an extraordinary meal with a beautiful view of Lake St. Clair! The lakeside restaurant is located inside the Ford House Visitor Center.
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We could not fulfill our mission as a not-for-profit without the valuable support from our many partners and partners. Building a sustainable, inclusive future by connecting people to the Ford Family Legacy and to each other through history, culture, and love. George Historic Motorcars in Pennsylvania volunteered to fix up a Model T Touring Car (not the one Ford used on his trip) so it could motor the 150 to 250 miles a day, as the original journey did. Ultimately, 4,000 were produced during the fair’s run from March 2 to Dec. 4.
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The result is visually arresting, if not quite as elegant as the first iteration. Gregorie made a scale model, and its photo, with Edsel Ford’s handwritten approval, still exists. By the mid 1920s, due to the success of the Model T, the Fords were one of the wealthiest families on Earth. Edsel and Eleanor furnished it with authentic fittings imported from the Cotswolds in the U.K. The project is to reduce the impact of waves and flooding, reduce polluted runoff and nutrient loads and increase recreational fishing opportunities. It also is to increase public access to the inaccessible shoreline for future educational and recreational activities, according to a Ford House release.
The South End Events - Ford House Outdoor Summer Concert Series: Michigan Philharmonic presents "Car-Tunes!" - The South End
The South End Events - Ford House Outdoor Summer Concert Series: Michigan Philharmonic presents "Car-Tunes!".
Posted: Fri, 26 Apr 2024 17:50:35 GMT [source]
With ceilings at only 6 feet, and doorways at just 5 feet, you may need to duck. Interestingly enough, this was NO typical attic, although there were a couple “real” attic rooms they used for storage. I really don’t want to spoil it, and I highly recommend the premium tour in order to see for yourself.

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Edsel & Eleanor Ford House announces 2023 winter events - WXYZ 7 Action News Detroit
Edsel & Eleanor Ford House announces 2023 winter events.
Posted: Mon, 09 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Several rooms, you would have thought were remodeled, due to the style of furniture and decor. Looking like something out of the 1960’s, the recreation room, and the bedrooms belonging to the boys, are filled with streamlined furniture. This shows how they were way before their time in setting trends, and being creative. Therefore, several details stand out based on the time period.

When he wasn’t driving it in Palm Beach, like his ’32 Speedster he stored it at Gaukler Point, nowhere near his father’s stomping grounds in Dearborn. Sources say it was kept in an unheated “shed,” but the estate has a carriage house bigger than most people’s entire homes. Either way, a deep freeze in the winter of 1939–40 cracked the engine block, so a then-new 1940 Mercury V-8 was swapped in. A later owner would replace that engine with a NOS 1940 Ford V-8, with dual carburetors and dual exhausts. The Mercury engine, although removed, remained with the Speedster. To be able to significantly lower the car, he flipped the rear frame’s kick-up upside down, so the frame rails passed below the back axle, allowing for a six-inch drop.
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Friends enjoy free tours, daily access to the grounds, dog-walking privileges, discounts, and more. Your ticket gives you access to the Visitor Center, including the three exhibitions, as well as the grounds and gardens. Get regular updates about programs, events, and news from Ford House. On any given day, you'll see Moss chasing away the Canada geese, ensuring our grounds are pristine for visitors. Ford House is grateful for the support from our incredible partners and sponsors.
There was actually a third sports car that Bob Gregorie developed with Edsel Ford, the 1935 Special Sports. Unlike the two speedsters, this was a four-seater actually intended for limited production. Ford and Gregorie wanted to make a longer and lower version of the stock Ford passenger car chassis to sell to coachbuilders who would make custom bodies for it. Despite the fact that he liked it, Edsel and Gregorie discussed making an even lower and racier speedster. Gregorie started work on the new car and Edsel sold the ’32 Speedster to a Grosse Pointe neighbor named Elmer Benzin, who then sold it to a GM designer, who crashed it.
Rivera’s Detroit Industry murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts were a gift of Edsel Ford. The Ford House grounds are a work of art in their own right. Designed by famed landscape architect Jens Jensen, the meadow, rockwork and water components appear to be almost completely natural but were meticulously planned. The most recent restoration project was to replace the sandstone pillars on the outside of the lakefront patio, which had started to crack around the upper edges. To ensure complete historical accuracy the foundation contracted a firm from the same region from where the original stone was purchased. The restoration projects are done by skilled craftsmen who have had proven previous experience in their fields.
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